Rail-anticreeping device.



A. T. KRAMER. RAIL AIITIUREBPING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED 0GT.18.1911.

Patented J an. 9. 1912 Suva wow ADAM r. KRAMER, or BLUFFTON, MINNESOTA.

RAIL-ANTICREEPIN G DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 9,1912,

Application filed'O'ctober 1a, 1911. Serial No. 655,315.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ADAM T. KRAMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blu ifton, in the county of ()ttertailv and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Anticreeping Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fasteners for rail- Way rails, and more particularly to an anticreeping device for preventing the longitudinal movement of rails at the ends of inclines, or at track crossings.

The invention has for its objects to produce a simple and eilicient fastener which is easily applied to the rail, and which will act to grip the rail both at its lateral edges in a horizontal direction, and in a vertical direction, and at the same time maintain an even bearing against the base of the rail.

Another object of the invention is to proide a device of the character referred to which will automatically tighten its grip upon the rail as the rail contracts, instead of loosening its grip as in devices of this same character heretofore employed.

Other objects of the invention will be made to appear hereinafter.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a side elevation, partly in section, of a device embodying the present invention, in position on a rail, with a tie shown in section; Fig. 2 is a sectional ,plan view of the fastening device shown in F ig. 1, on the line 22, Fig. 3; Fig.3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3-3, Fig.2; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the wedge member.

s represented herein, the anti-creeper comprises the wedge member 3, and the cooperative supporting member 5, which are respectively arranged to embrace the base of the rail and to be forced into gripping contact with said base, and each other.

The wedge member 3 is composed of a base portion 7 which is of a. width to extend beneath the rail base (3, for the entire width. thereof and is provided near its lefthand edge, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4, with an upwardly, and inwardly extending railengaging flange 8. The base 7 extends slightly beyond the flange 8 terminating in a rounded rib 10 which is tapered or diminished in thickness fron'i front to rear in a vertical direction, as shown in Figs.- 1 and 3, andis also inclined to the axis of the rail from front to rear in a horizontal direction to form a Wedge, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower face of the base 7 has a slight upward inclination from its left-hand edge to its right-hand edge, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the front of said base is provided with a downwardly extending abutment 20 which bears against the tie 21. A longitudinally elongated recess 12 is formed in the rib 10 as shown for a purpose to be explained hereinafter. I

The supporting member or shell 5 is composed of a base portion 14. which receives the base 7 of the wedge member, and is inclined laterally from left to right. seen in Fig. 3, to correspond with a similar inclinat-ion on the base 7, and alsohas an upward inclination from the front edge of the member toward its rear, as indicated by the dotted line 14". The member 5 has at .one side edge an upwardly and inwardly directed flange 16 which is shaped to fit over the rib 10, and has alined perforations to receive a locking pin 27 which also passes through the recess 12 in member 3. The opposite side edge of the member 5 has a vertical wall 17.'and an inwardly extending flange 18 which engages over the edge of the rail base, the space between that portion of this flange which engages the rail and the underlying face of the base 14 being filled by the edge of the base 7 and the edge of the rail base (3, and being tapered from front to rear, as indicated by the dotted line 14.

In order to assemble the parts of the anticrecper, the flange 8 of the wedge member 3 is hooked over one side of a rail base and the abutment 20 positioned against the fare of a tie 21. The supporting member 5 is then slid in position along the rail with its flange l8 (H'l'P the opposite edge of the rail base, and until the groove inside the flange ldpasscs over the rib 10, said rib andv groove cooperating to draw tightly together the members 3 and 5 in a. lateral direction and thereby, wall 17, gripping the side edges of the rail base between them. By the same operation the relative longitudinal movement of the inclined contacting surfaces on the bases 7 and 1% will efl'ect on the'cdgc of the rail base, so that a double wedge is formed, pressing on the edge of the rail and on. the bottom of the rail. When the parts have been driven together in position on the rail, any tendency of the a vcTrtical wedging action through flanges 8 and 1S, and

rail to creep or move" on its bed in the direction ofthe arrow (Fig. 1) will tend to increase the tightness of the grip on the rail, and thus effectually prevent its longitudinal movement. When theparts have been positioned as described, the locking pin 27 is driven into place, there being in practice a slight overlap of the member 5 beyond the member 3 at the rear and the pin occupying the rear end of the recess 12, as shown in Fig. 2, but acting frictionally'to maintain the parts tightly in this position under ordinary conditions. In casevthe rail should contract and shorten faster than the malleable iron shell 5, however, the shell will with it the pin 27 which will then slip along the unoccupied portion of the recess; 12 shown in front of the pin in Figs. 1- and 2.

By this means, the shortening of-the rail asit contracts is applied for automatically tightening the wedging members, and the parts of my rail anchor will thus always be maintained in gripping contact with the rail, notwithstanding variations in tempera ture.

I claim'as new and desire to secure by Let- Changes in the form, proportions, or minor details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention,what

for gripping the rail vertically and horizontally.

2. In a device of the class described, the

' combination with a Wedge having a base to extend wholly beneath, the rail base, a

lateral flange to engage one edge of the rail, an inclined rib' beyond said flange, and

an abutment to engage a tie, of a supporting a flange to engage the other edge of the rail, and a second flange to fit over said rib.

3..In a device of the class described, the combination with a wedge havin a railsupporting base having an incline surface,

abutment, and a taperingrib inclined horizontally of a supporting Qmember having a cooperating inclined surface, and flanges to engage the other rail edge and said rib respectively, the parts being overlapped horizontally.

clined rib provided with an elongated recess, of a supporting member having a base, a rail-engaging flange, a flange having a tapering recess to fit said rib, and alined said recess and perforations, whereby upon a contraction of the rail in excess of that of the supporting member the supporting member and wedge will be drawn more tightly into wedging engagement and relative movement between said parts permitted by the elongated recess.

5. In an anti-creeper for rails, the combithe base 7 formed with the lateral and longitndinally inclined surface 14:, the flange 8, tapering and inclined rib 10 having the reing member 5 having the base 14: forme correspond with the surface 14, the flange 18,. the flange 16 having a recess-to fit the rib 10, alined perforations, and the pin 27 fitting said recess and perforations.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

' ADAM T. KRAMER.

Witnesses N'. B. TYRRELL, J. M. DIOKEY,

perforations, and a locking pin to engage nationwith the Wedge member 3, having cess .12, and the abutment 20, of the suppgrttg member having a base belowthe wedge base,

a flange to engage oneend of the rail, a tie whereby when said parts are forced together with a rail between them a gripping force will be applied both vertically and 4. In adevice of the class described, the combination with a wedge having a base, arail-engaging flange and a tapering, in- 

